Know before you go. Be well-equipped.

International trade is like an expedition. To be successful, one requires local knowledge and the deployment of the right tools.

Commercial Law

Today's foresight will enable you to stay ahead of the competition. We strategise with you and consider the long term impact of a business transaction

Data Protection Law

Your information security is only as strong as your weakest link. We help you mitigate the risk of data breaches in order to best protect your assets.

Intellectual Property Law

Fire up creativity and innovation. We help you protect your intellectual property, including your trade secrets, trademarks, copyright, and registered design rights.

International Contract Law

Keeping you on track. Whatever the size, we can deliver commercially
cost-efficient solutions for every client.

Smart legal advice for innovative businesses

LawDownUnder is a commercial law firm based in Wellington, New Zealand and Hamburg, Germany. LawDownUnder offers cutting edge legal advice that will help your business innovate and get ahead of the competition.

Our expertise goes well beyond purely technical legal matters. We strategise with you and consider the longer-term impact of a business transaction.

Privacy and Data Protection in the IT Industry: Your information security is only as strong as your weakest link. We help you mitigate the risk of data breaches in order to best protect your assets. ...

Trademarks are key business assets and are an integral part of your marketing strategy. A well-managed trademark portfolio will help maintain your business's competitive advantage, attract investment...

We advise clients from Europe, Australia, and New Zealand on international business transaction, international trade law, and foreign direct investment in New Zealand. We help clients settle cross-bor...

Publications

With the GDPR compliance deadline on 25 May 2018, there is little time to get ready, but it is not too late. The GDPR is the most significant change in data privacy regulation in more than 20 years. It comes into force on 25 May 2018 and will impact all businesses that process personal data... View Article

Latest Thinking

Privacy protection is fundamental to a free and open society. Even Mark Zuckerberg may have gotten a whiff of what privacy is all about when he was asked by Senator Dick Durbin if he would like to disclose which hotel he stayed in last night. Zuckerberg said “hhm no” to protect his own privacy. Protecting... View Article

Sexual harassment allegations against the law firm Russell McVeagh serve as a reminder that as a profession, we need to take a hard look at ourselves and the work environment that we are offering to our staff. Over the last four decades, there have been more female law graduates than male law graduates. Though women... View Article

A German court held that Facebook has breached German data protection law. As a result, Facebook has to change its privacy settings on its facebook app for its German users. German facebook users can also no longer be forced to provide their real name. Smartphones apps collate a vast amount of personal data ranging from user location... View Article

A number of new laws and regulations are coming into effect in 2018 across New Zealand, including higher minimum wages and longer paid parental leave. For business owners the following new laws and proposed new laws are particularly relevant: Employment law Increased minimum wage. Employers have to pay their employees at least the minimum hourly wage... View Article

GDPR: cross-border data transfers Cross-border data transfers are indispensable for most international businesses and organisations. Almost all businesses rely on cross-border data transfers in their day-to-day business operations (e.g. electronic payment systems, Internet-based advertising, cloud based software services and cloud storage). In practice, this means that personal data is often transferred by the data controller... View Article

News & Events

German lawyers meet Elke Buedenbender in New Zealand The German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited New Zealand from 5 – 7 November 2017. He was accompanied by his wife, Elke Buedenbender and a 60-member delegation. The visit was a harbinger of the soon-to-be-started negotiation on a free trade agreement between Europe and New Zealand. Frank-Walter Steinmeier... View Article